Google Sheets vs Excel: A Comprehensive 2025 Comparison

As 2025 draws to a close, the ongoing rivalry between Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel has intensified with significant AI enhancements, performance improvements, and new features on both sides. According to comparisons from sources like Zapier and Appy Pie, Google Sheets dominates in seamless real-time collaboration and accessibility, while Excel excels in handling complex data analysis and large datasets.

This detailed guide, informed by 2025 reviews from Coursera, Lido, and Rows, breaks down key aspects to help you choose the right tool for personal finance tracking, team projects, or enterprise analytics.

Pricing and Accessibility

Google Sheets remains free for individual users with a Google account, while business editions via Google Workspace saw price increases in early 2025 to incorporate Gemini AI features. Plans now start higher, reflecting bundled AI, but offer excellent value for cloud-based access.

Microsoft Excel, included in Microsoft 365 subscriptions (around $6.99/month for personal plans), provides full desktop access plus web versions. In late 2025, Microsoft announced upcoming price adjustments for 2026 to fund AI expansions, as detailed in their official blog.

Google Sheets wins for pure affordability and device-agnostic access, especially post-2025 updates improving mobile performance. Excel's offline desktop app appeals to users needing uninterrupted work.

Collaboration and Real-Time Editing

Google Sheets leads in collaboration, with instant multi-user editing and version history. 2025 enhancements, like faster calculations and improved pasting, make group work even smoother, as noted in Google Workspace Updates.

Excel's co-authoring via OneDrive has advanced, but it still trails in fluidity for large teams, per comparisons in Plaky and Sheetgo.

For remote or hybrid teams in 2025, Sheets is the go-to.

Performance with Large Datasets

Excel outperforms dramatically on big data. The desktop version processes millions of rows swiftly, as confirmed in tests from Zapier and Row Zero. Sheets, limited to ~10 million cells, lags with complex formulas or dense data, even after 2025 speed doublings.

For heavy analytics, Excel remains superior.

Core Features and Functionality

Both support essentials, but Excel offers deeper tools like Power Query and Power Pivot. 2025 additions include Python integration and advanced functions, per Microsoft Community Hub.

Sheets introduced structured tables and multi-table analysis in 2025, enhancing organization, as covered in OWOX.

Excel for advanced needs; Sheets for simplicity.

AI Integration: The 2025 Highlight

AI defined 2025 upgrades.

Excel's Copilot matured with Agent Mode, formula generation, and Python in-grid analysis, rolling out features like image analysis and explanations, from Microsoft updates.

Sheets' Gemini expanded multi-step editing, data generation, and insights directly in cells, per Google Workspace Blog.

Copilot suits pros; Gemini is intuitive and included in plans.

Security, Integrations, and Templates

Both provide strong security—Sheets via Google's infrastructure, Excel with local options.

Sheets integrates natively with Google tools; Excel with Microsoft ecosystem.

For templates, explore cross-compatible options at SpreadsheetsHub.com, offering premium 2025 designs for budgets and trackers in both formats. Their bestsellers are macro-free and versatile.